JBL 308P MKII Studio Monitor Review

[Robbo99999]

I moved my 308p from the wall to the middle of the room, and for some reason they sound flat. They have way more air behind them now, but they sound anemic. Bondary EQ and HF Trim are set to 0. Isn't BEQ for compensating when really close to a wall? I've had mine set to 0 before the move since they were a few inches from the wall. Also, what's the risk of things crawling inside the speaker hole? Does it matter? I live in a fairly cold climate with few bugs. Is itr common to filter these holes, or does it change the sound signature?

It's hard to equate these experiences & to optimise your speakers & speakers positioning unless you can measure what's going on with say a UMIK microphone & REW (the most popular low cost option for measuring what's happening with your speakers in your room). It's really a great investment in order to get your best sound, but it does require some effort to learn how to use REW and to understand the theory around measurements (& room EQ) to enable you to optimise your speakers. I did go through a long stage though where I just listened to my 308p mkii with an Anechoic EQ and no room EQ, just relying on the Anechoic EQ - so effectively just letting Anechoic Flat speakers roam free in the room so-to-speak, and it was a good experience, and probably the best way to do it if you're not gonna have any one listening position - ie you want it to sound the best it can be from anywhere in the room. So you could still do an Anechoic EQ on your speakers using Amir's measurement, hell you could even use my Anechoic EQ that is listed in this thread somewhere. But for dedicated listening at one listening position then you'd want to be using Room EQ, which is achievable through using UMIK & REW.

For a short & quick fix regarding Anechoic EQ, just flip HF Trim Switch on the back of the speaker to -2dB, that takes you a lot of the way there to an Anechoic Flat Speaker, so do that first.

(Room EQ is designed to sort out your bass for your listening position).

Regarding creepy crawlies infiltrating your speakers, I've thought about that, but I've got my ports plugged now because I'm using a sub so don't need the low end extension of the speakers, but I wouldn't worry about it - just hoover up the spiders and critters in your room fairly often to stop infestations, I do have quite a few spiders in my place & I quite like that because I like them getting the germ ridden flies, so I just clean up the cobwebs that eventually form around the speakers & sub, lol, spiders are useful though, but I don't want them living in my audio gear, they probably have more sense anyway!

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I’ve not done a lot of near-field listening.

Is it inherently inferior to more traditional listening; is there an issue with it sounding ‘headphone-y’, or is it just as good as long as you follow the usual rules (equilateral triangle, etc.)?

 

[Philbo King]

I’ve not done a lot of near-field listening.

Is it inherently inferior to more traditional listening; is there an issue with it sounding ‘headphone-y’, or is it just as good as long as you follow the usual rules (equilateral triangle, etc.)?

Best way to find out -- pick a few albums, listen for an afternoon

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Best way to find out -- pick a few albums, listen for an afternoon

Thanks, I certainly will.

But I’m also interested in the views of others here.

 

[Robbo99999]

I’ve not done a lot of near-field listening.

Is it inherently inferior to more traditional listening; is there an issue with it sounding ‘headphone-y’, or is it just as good as long as you follow the usual rules (equilateral triangle, etc.)?

Nearfield is fine, not headphoney at all, as long as you've got the equilateral triangle listening position. In that position the 308p create a seamless musical soundstage that extends beyond the confines of the speakers, it's like the music isn't even coming from the speakers as it spreads wide and seamlessly with any panning effects moving around precisely & smoothly, it's like a wall or canvas of sound (spatially) that is drawn upon. I know this is all flowery language, but the speakers really disappear and you just have this canvas of music in front of you and wrapping around the sides (wider than the physical placement of the speakers), I've even had some sound effects sound like they're coming from behind me in some tracks where they've baked in that effect (talking 2-channel music, I don't have surround). Nearfield is fine.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Nearfield is fine, not headphoney at all, as long as you've got the equilateral triangle listening position. In that position the 308p create a seamless musical soundstage that extends beyond the confines of the speakers, it's like the music isn't even coming from the speakers as it spreads wide and seamlessly with any panning effects moving around precisely & smoothly, it's like a wall or canvas of sound (spatially) that is drawn upon. I know this is all flowery language, but the speakers really disappear and you just have this canvas of music in front of you and wrapping around the sides (wider than the physical placement of the speakers), I've even had some sound effects sound like they're coming from behind me in some tracks where they've baked in that effect (talking 2-channel music, I don't have surround). Nearfield is fine.

Excellent, detailed answer. Many thanks.

May I ask, do you think anything is ‘too close’, as in it causes new problems? Do you introduce new issues by (for example) sitting at 80cm rather than 1.5m?

 

[Robbo99999]

Excellent, detailed answer. Many thanks.

May I ask, do you think anything is ‘too close’, as in it causes new problems? Do you introduce new issues by (for example) sitting at 80cm rather than 1.5m?

I've never sat closer than 1.3m, which is also pretty much as close together I can put the two speakers because they're each side of the TV (so not tested closer equilateral triangles).

EDIT: couldn't find anything in the owners manual in relation to how close you can sit to the 308p. The specs for SPL are at 1m, so praps 1m is still an acceptable listening distance, but I don't know.

 

[Philbo King]

I myself wouldn't go closer than 1 meter.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Of minor annoyance. I completely understand that JBL have done everything to a budget. But for the most part they’ve managed to do that without any detriment to sound quality - apart from the underpowered amp driving the woofer.

I understand it’s 50W. How much more would it have cost to make that a 75W, or 100W amp? That’s not “How much would a 100W amp cost?” it’s “How much MORE than this 50W amp would a 100W amp cost?”

Maybe release a “+” version with a bigger amp?

Don’t get me wrong, if there were minor niggles all over the place, I understand that you have to stop somewhere. But that appears the only negative.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I myself wouldn't go closer than 1 meter.

And I’m presuming that these distances are tweeter to ear. In some circumstances that’d make little difference, but where we’re talking about 100cm vs 150cm, then the 25cm depth of the speaker, or even if it’s to the top of your nose or your earlobe is a heathy % of the final distance.

 

[Robbo99999]

Of minor annoyance. I completely understand that JBL have done everything to a budget. But for the most part they’ve managed to do that without any detriment to sound quality - apart from the underpowered amp driving the woofer.

I understand it’s 50W. How much more would it have cost to make that a 75W, or 100W amp? That’s not “How much would a 100W amp cost?” it’s “How much MORE than this 50W amp would a 100W amp cost?”

Maybe release a “+” version with a bigger amp?

Don’t get me wrong, if there were minor niggles all over the place, I understand that you have to stop somewhere. But that appears the only negative.

There's a fair bit of distortion from the woofer anyway given Amir's measurements, so I don't think you'd gain anything by hooking up an even more powerful amp to that woofer, as of course that would only worsen distortion.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

There's a fair bit of distortion from the woofer anyway given Amir's measurements, so I don't think you'd gain anything by hooking up an even more powerful amp to that woofer, as of course that would only worsen distortion.

I was just going on his comment:

As with many powered speakers, amplification for the woofer is the limiting factor. This speaker with 100 watts or more to power the woofer would be so darn perfect.

 

[Robbo99999]

I was just going on his comment:

Ah, I don't know why he's saying that though because distortion seems to be the limiting factor - it's already there at 86dB (although mine seems to measure better than that), so I just don't understand why he's mentioning the amplifier power - I don't think it's distortion related to the amplifier limitations, unless I've misunderstood something.

EDIT: the 96dB distortion is worse because firstly it's louder, but he mentioned there was all sorts of squealing from when the electronic limiters kick in - so yes the lack of amplifier power is making the 96dB distortion measurement worse, but it wouldn't be having an influence on the distortion already being seen at 86dB so it doesn't make sense in my mind for a greater wattage amplifier to be included in it's design (is my interpretation). Albeit I suppose it's a moot point because we get what we're given!

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I myself wouldn't go closer than 1 meter.

Now here’s a bit of a coincidence. I was just watching a video, and they happen to be using these monitors, or at least some from the JBL 300 range.

Look at 0:59.

There’s no way that’s over a metre. That’s a metre absolute maximum, isn’t it? I mean his right arm isn’t even stretching.

 

[Robbo99999]

Now here’s a bit of a coincidence. I was just watching a video, and they happen to be using these monitors, or at least some from the JBL 300 range.

Look at 0:59.

There’s no way that’s over a metre. That’s a metre absolute maximum, isn’t it? I mean his right arm isn’t even stretching.

I'd say that's less that 1.3m (how I have mine) because his monitor doesn't look as large as my TV, but my speakers are closer to the sides of my TV than his pic though - I'd say it's less than 1.3m there anyway for sure. You could contact JBL and ask them how close you can sit to the JBL 308p Mkii whilst still having the speaker work as intended if you're worried about 1m listening distance? I just can't really imagine less than 1m. (Let us know what they say if you get an answer out of them.)

 

[Philbo King]

The thing is, the closer you get, the more the bass and tweeter sound separate. One could become acclimated to it I suppose.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

The thing is, the closer you get, the more the bass and tweeter sound separate. One could become acclimated to it I suppose.

I think if you look at the vertical heat map in Amir’s review, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Someone else can check the maths, but these speakers are 42cm tall, I believe there’s 17cm between the centre of the two drivers, at 1m - I believe that’s just under 10 degrees. At a seating distance of just 50cm that’s less than 20 degrees. Amir suggests going off axis more than 20 degrees before you hit any issues.

That’s at the output (speaker) end of things. But from an input (hearing) perspective, we’re more prone to directionality on the horizontal plane than the vertical - our ears are on the left and right of ours heads, not our forehead and chin.

That’s why stereo speakers were designed to go left and right, rather than top and bottom. And that’s why drivers are placed above and below each other, rather than side-by-side.

 

[Robbo99999]

The thing is, the closer you get, the more the bass and tweeter sound separate. One could become acclimated to it I suppose.

This is what I would be concerned about too, re a very close listening position. @Yorkshire Mouth , if you get any reply from JBL re closest possible listening distance then let us know!

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

This is what I would be concerned about too, re a very close listening position. @Yorkshire Mouth , if you get any reply from JBL re closest possible listening distance then let us know!

Will do.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Still waiting for a reply from JBL. I notice the above from Genelec.

Looking at that, 80cm is fine for anything other than their very largest monitors.